New Layout DCC wiring (HO Scale)

[dante]

NILE

1.  I have to Shinora double crossovers.  I thought these were DCC friendly, but maybe they are not.  How can I tell if they are DCC friendly, are there visual characteristics?

If DCC friendly, the frogs will be isolated; also, on the underside you will see the electrical connection straps from rail to rail that maintain power and polarity.

Glad to hear that you are now wired successfully!

Dante 

[NILE]

I re-did the tap splices and checked my other wiring and now things seem to be working.  I don't have the entire layout wired yet, but could have it done this week.  

[locoi1sa]

NILE

1.  I have to Shinora double crossovers.  I thought these were DCC friendly, but maybe they are not.  How can I tell if they are DCC friendly, are there visual characteristics?

  If these are like the Walthers x overs then you will need to feed all four point ends.

NILE

3.  I am using 16 gauge for my bus line, and atlas black feeder wires to termnial rail joiners to connect the rails to the bus line.  I am using tap slices from a hard ware store to connect the feeders to the bus.  I had used them in my last layout and it kept the wiring very neat. 

  Terminal rail joiners are not a great idea for a permanent layout. Solder them if you really want to use them. Having the same color for both rails is going to be confusing. Better would be two different colors and solder directly to the rail. Unless your buss line is thirty feet or longer then 16g should be alright.

   Try reading Allan Gartners wiring for DCC. http://www.wiringfordcc.com/track.htm

           Pete

[gandydancer19]

1.  I have to Shinora double crossovers.  I thought these were DCC friendly, but maybe they are not.  How can I tell if they are DCC friendly, are there visual characteristics?

*** There are no Visual Characteristics to look for. DCC friendly means that the point rails are the same polarity as the stock rail next to it at all times, whether it is closed or open.

2.  Does the command station have any indicators of a short?

*** Yes. Look in the manual because I don't remember what it is. I think there is one beep every so often.

3.  I am using 16 gauge for my bus line, and atlas black feeder wires to termnial rail joiners to connect the rails to the bus line.  I am using tap slices from a hard ware store to connect the feeders to the bus.  I had used them in my last layout and it kept the wiring very neat. 

*** 16 gauge is too small for a large layout. The reason awg 12 is used is because it has a lower resistance for a long run.

4.  The command station is in the middle of the bus line.  So the bus line to the right on the layout is connected directly to the command station, then there is a tap splice about a foot down the line for the command station for the bus line going to the left. 

*** Any kind of splice can cause problems. Soldering is always better than a splice no matter what anyone else says. I do use splices for some things, but not everything, and not on my track bus.

5.  I tried running power to the bus line and attaching only one set of  feeder wires (A&B) to power that section of track.  There was no power to the track.

*** Disconnect the track wires from the Command Station. Then connect one section of flextrack to the track terminals and see if a loco will run on it. If it does, you have a problem with your layout wiring. If it won't, you have a problem with your Command Station somehow.

I think the double crossovers have to be wired in four places, at the point end of the four turnouts. However, I am not positive about this because I don't have any myself.

Shorts are the hardest things to find in any wiring including layouts. To find them, you have to start disconnecting stuff until the short goes away. Check the last thing you wired up on your layout. Usually that is the problem.

[NILE]

I have built my new layout, but I am having problems getting power to the tracks.  I have a large room "around the walls" HO scale layout with Digitrax Empire Builder command station.  My layout has been in storage for three years.  I tested the command station on small section of track not connected to the layout and it worked in both analog and DCC.

1.  I have to Shinora double crossovers.  I thought these were DCC friendly, but maybe they are not.  How can I tell if they are DCC friendly, are there visual characteristics?

2.  Does the command station have any indicators of a short?

3.  I am using 16 gauge for my bus line, and atlas black feeder wires to termnial rail joiners to connect the rails to the bus line.  I am using tap slices from a hard ware store to connect the feeders to the bus.  I had used them in my last layout and it kept the wiring very neat. 

4.  The command station is in the middle of the bus line.  So the bus line to the right on the layout is connected directly to the command station, then there is a tap splice about a foot down the line for the command station for the bus line going to the left. 

5.  I tried running power to the bus line and attaching only one set of  feeder wires (A&B) to power that section of track.  There was no power to the track.

I have bought a volt meter and will start checking the lines at different points to see if I can isolate the problem.  Does anyone have any other suggestions to help get DCC power to these rails?  Could the double cross overs be my problem?

Thanks,

NILE